Saturday, July 21. The last three locks of the Trent Severn Waterway were just as memorable as any on the whole trip. On our way to each lock, we cruised through narrow channels with granite boulders below and on each side of us, leading to wide, shallow lakes with rocky outcroppings. There are several really shallow spots along this stretch so we stayed on alert and made it just fine. As always we enjoyed seeing the charming cottages and houses built right on big boulders and pristine woods made up of tall “Christmas trees,” birches and such. Not a condo anywhere! Being a beautiful Sunday, lots of families were out on the water swimming, skiing, or boating.
We were happy to see Looper buddies Carol and Lee on Carole Anne at each lock. They were also heading to the Summer Rendezvous at Penetang, so we were both eager to make good time. We breezed through Swift Rapids, Lock 43, then came to the one everyone talks about, the Big Chute, Lock 44. Technically, this is not a lock because you are actually lifted out of the water on slings, then transported over a highway and released on the other side. What a crazy, thrilling experience! (One more lock, Port Severn, then past some rapids, and we were out on beautiful Georgian Bay. The wind picked up, but we pushed on until we finally pulled into Bay Moorings Marina in Penetanguishene (prounouced pena-tang-wish-een), site of the Great Loop Rendezvous, by 4 p.m. A warm reunion with Looper friends Lillys and Braffets as we pulled in to the dock was an excellent way to end this long day. We slept soundly.
# posted by Second Wind @ 9:31 PM
